


Of the Same Blood

by CheatsatUNO



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, SGRUB session, no sburb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-24
Packaged: 2017-12-11 21:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheatsatUNO/pseuds/CheatsatUNO
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The troll's SGRUB session was successful and they 12 kids claimed their reward. The trolls rule over Earth, a place inhabited by both humans and trolls. Trolls are the greater species and look down on humans, who are used as slaves and workers. (im bad with summaries)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so this is my first fanfiction, please comment and tell me what you think. But first, in this universe, the trolls got to rule over Earth like they had originally planned, the current trolls and humans don't know that the 12 trolls created this universe.  
> 

==> Be John Egbert

A clatter of glass shattering and you flinch, trying to avoid cutting yourself. The rainbow colored liquid that Jane had sent you out with splashes over you and on the troll you bumped into. You look up at raging black eyes and twitching fins. Shit, this was a sea troll, meaning he had purple blood; the highest color, save for Empress Feferi’s coveted fuchsia blood. He jabs a dangerously clawed finger at you and spits at you in clicking, whirring insults that you don’t understand. He graciously switches languages for you.

“You insolent little thing! Look at what you’ve done to my suit! Not to mention you touched me!” The troll hisses, his accent thick and it was difficult to make out what he was saying. He screamed more at you but you couldn’t understand it anymore because he switched back into growls and clicks. You’re not sure you wanted to hear what he was saying. You cower on the glittering floor, the multicolored champagne seeping into your pants and a few shards of glass poke into your hands but don’t break through.

You don’t move though, despite your discomfort. One wrong move and this sea-troll could kill you and his only punishment would be for dirtying the ballroom’s floors. His hands flex and you fear those sharp claws, like you’ve been taught to.

A sudden, worried clicking of heels stops the troll’s rampage and he looks up, shock crossing his face before he bows. You swivel your head and see Empress Feferi. Scrambling onto your hands and knees you bow, ignoring the glass that scratches you. You don’t want to bleed. Trolls took offense to your bright red blood.

“What happened here?” The Empress demands in her high tone of voice. She looks from the troll to you and you keep your mouth shut as the purple-blood expresses his one-sided deliverance of the accident. He managed to insult you further while still respecting Feferi. You catch his suggestion of your death. Well actually, a lot of trolls do. Some nod in approval and others couldn’t care less. Shivering from the cold champagne soaked into your clothes and fear you look up  
at Feferi with a scared expression.

She looks down at you with a professional face but something flashes and she turns back to the offended guest.

“I assure you Lord Xereke, he will be punished as severely as I see fit. I will make him regret his actions, this I promise.” He nods his head, somewhat reassured and turns to leave with a swift bow. Feferi snaps her fingers and two attendants rush to her side and help you up on her command. Despite their obvious disdain at touching you, you are grateful for their support as your knees wobble in fear. What would the Empress do to you? Were you going to die? Be tortured? Trolls were a violent species that ruled over humans, you didn’t put it past them.

Not even Empress Feferi.

\--

You lay curled up in the small bed assigned to you. Rose and Dave have long since gone to bed after many futile attempts to assure you Empress Feferi would not have you killed or tortured. You don’t believe them. You know what happens when trolls get angry, it’s the reason your friend Roxy is dead. The reason your father is dead…

You wake up the next morning, low on sleep and anxiety imprinting a frown on your usually happy face. Two troll attendants have appeared above your bed, looking at you angrily. You flinch and know you’re going to die. Why else would the Empress send out attendants to fetch you so early? She couldn’t even wait until you went to work with Jane. She must want to get it over with quickly.

They let you dress, blue trousers and shirt with a faded white vest. If you were going to die you want to do it in your best clothes. The trolls take you out of the human service house. A small, two-story home where the human help slept when they weren’t working. It was as far away from the large mansion as the property would allow, in a secluded part of the large garden that surrounded the mansion where the Empress and eight nobles lived. They ruled your planet, Earth, along with three others that stayed elsewhere in the world.

You are brought to an unfamiliar part of the mansion, up two flights of stairs and down several corridors to a large set of double doors. A large fuchsia symbol is embellished on the wood, the same symbol that represents the Empress and is on everything she wears. It is her symbol. This must be her office.

An attendant knocks on the door and a series of noises come from inside and they open the doors, shoving you inside. You stumble slightly before catching your balance. Everything in the office is cool and sleek, in varying shades of the Empress’s blood color. She sits behind a larger desk, too large for her but she sits behind it proudly. The whole room seems to draw attention to her so you don’t notice the male troll, clad in grey and black until Feferi sweep a long and elegant grey arm towards him.

“This is your punishment John.” She smiles softly, still managing to have a professional aura. The troll she gestures to is short, taller than you only by a few inches and has small, nubby horns. They are rounded unlick the usual points that troll horns usually end in. Feferi’s trolls are slightly rounded but still pointed enough to seem normal.

The troll whips around to face the Empress and growls. “Fuck you Feferi, why the hell do I get stuck with that bulgemunch?!” You visibly flinch at the troll’s language towards her. You wonder if she will have him killed. The Empress merely giggled.

“Clam down Karcrab. Don’t pretend you aren’t a hassle to deal with. Besides, I have to give him some kind of punishment. It would look bad if I didn’t. John Egbert is your personal attendant so play nice.” The Empress chides and you’re a bit surprised. Karcrab?

“Fuck you and your dumbass fish puns.” He sneers and she gist giggles. He turns to you and glares. “Well fuckass, you’re stuck with me I guess. It’s my displeasure and yours I’m sure.” You hesitate before bowing.

“I will serve you best I can, Karcrab, sir.” A quick intake of breath from Feferi and her face flushes her pretty blood color and she’s laughing like you’ve never heard the Empress laugh before. The next thing you know the male troll has you held by your vest and is holding you close enough so that you can count his bared fangs. Your breath hitches and he growls.

“My name is KARKAT, grubfucker!” He rages and throws you away from him. You tremble and rest your back against the door for support. Feferi straightens and glares at Karkat.

“I said play nice! You’re scaring him Karkat. It wasn’t his fault.” She snaps. Karkat growls at her and she sighs, looking at John with an apologetic gaze. “He doesn’t mean to be such an ass, it’s just kind of a reflex for him. Please be patient with him John.” She gives you a lopsided smile, elegant and pretty, unlike the fearful face you have now. You nod dumbly then remember your status and bow.

“Th-thank you Empress.” You say as clearly as you can. She nods and Karkat slams the door as he leaves. You scramble after him and settle into a trot as he stalks down a particularly long corridor. When he’s slouched over like he is now, he’s much shorter than you and doesn’t look as scary. Your face goes to a neutral state, you’re not frowning but not giving a goofy smile either. You follow quietly and you think things are going pretty good until he stops at a large door with a sideways silver 69 on the door. He opens it and turns his head to you.

“Leave me alone. I don’t care what Feferi says, go to your stupid hive and don’t come near me.” He hisses and slams the door in your face. Unsure what to do because the Empress told you to stick by him, you lean against the wall and put your head between your knees. You decide to think.

First of all, you’re not dead, that’s probably the best thing that’s happened today. You might even throw a little party when you get home. Dave will make a banner congratulating you on your not death. It will a festive evening of life. Then you delve on the fact that your charge hates you but Feferi warned you that’s just how he was. Maybe he hated everyone. With the way he spoke to the Empress it seemed that way but she seemed to take no offense. Maybe they were friends.

Karkat must be one of the eight nobles that live with the Empress. That explains why he has a room. You’d heard the eleven nobles (including the three that lived elsewhere) were the Empress’s closest friends. You’d only met two nobles: Aradia and Nepeta. The two were kind enough, especially Nepeta. She was often found in the garden, tending to the plants. You’d only met Aradia once in passing. She had taken your cousin Jake with her when she learned of his love for adventure.

It’s been hours and Karkat hasn’t left his room and you’ve almost nodded off twice now so you decide to go back to your friends and warm bed. You slump off towards the first downward leading stair case and wonder about for a few moments till you find the kitchen and then the route home is easily found.

You step through the threshold and you are accosted by a warm hug you weren’t expecting. Jane is babbling incoherently and you see relief on the face of your best friends, Dave and Rose, through her short curly hair. Jane looks a lot like you, short black hair, glasses, creamy white skin, and buck teeth.

“Oh I heard from one of the cooks that the Empress summoned you for punishment and then no one heard from you all day and we were all so worried!” Jane manages to stay coherent long enough to get out the sentence. You laugh and pat her back. A lopsided grin finding its way onto your face.

“I’m fine you guys. The Empress isn’t going to kill me, but I’m someone’s personal attendant now. He’s grumpy and has these nubby little horns and-” You are interrupted by Rose in a calm voice.

“General Vantas?” She asks.

“Karkat?”

“Yes. General Karkat Vantas. He is similar to Dave’s teacher General Nitram. They both have high military rankings and are nobles. Karkat comes to the library quite often though I have been sworn to not divulge the section in which he frequents.” Rose steps forward and smiles as she gives a warm hug. Dave follows.

“Damn trolls. Scared the fuck out of me. I thought you were dead for sure.” He sighs and pulls away, his brief flash of worry gone and a stoic expression in its place.

“So I guess this means you won’t be working in the kitchen anymore?” Jane gives a sad smile. The two of you worked in the kitchen together, although you hated the confectionary, the two of you could make the best cakes in all of Altaria. Rose worked in the library, Dave was being trained by General Nitram to be a guard for the Empress, and Dirk, who was probably at the lab right now, worked with another noble, Equius and they built things like robots and other cool stuff.

“Sorry Jane.” You yawn and Jane apologizes for being rude and ushers you to your bed and you fall readily into it. “Thanks.” You mutter before drifting off to sleep. A goofy grin on your face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for some characters that might be OOC and just so you know, Altaria is kinda like the capitol city, where they all live(save Vriska, Aradia, Sollux, and Jake).


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter could be called "In Which Dave is a Whiny Bitch"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fixed the paragraphing problem from chapter one! This looks infinitely better!

You are woken by a low growl and a soft shaking.

“John, please wake up now.” Rose’s soft voice enters your consciousness and you smile.

“Good morning Rose. Just give me a minute, I’ll leave for the kitchen in a minute. Jane won’t mind.” You end in a yawn and the growling becomes louder.

“Wake up fuckass.” Says a gruff voice and suddenly yesterday’s events flood back to you. You don’t work in the kitchens anymore and Karkat, your charge, is in your room, glaring at you. You jump and sit straight up. You notice that someone must have changed you out of your clothes because you’re wearing a greyish-blue tee shirt and black boxers.

“K-Karkat, sir!” You say, startled. He rolls his eyes.

“Feferi likes to pretend she’s the boss of me even though she was the one that suggested the whole, ‘we’ll all decide things together’ crap. So I can’t avoid you anymore or else I’ll get shit from her for ‘undermining her authority’. Bull-fucking-shit.” Karkat seethes and you only nod blankly. What was he even talking about? Things being decided together? Did the Empress have consult the nobles before making decisions? It wasn’t too hard to believe but there was always that feeling that Feferi was in complete control.

“Ah… s-so where are w-we going then?” You stumble out of bed and stand as straight as possible. Rose smirks at you and you notice she is fully dressed and was probably on her way to the library which meant Dave and Jane were long gone. Karkat rolls his eyes again but his annoyance is a big improvement to his anger though.

“Where ever I feel like going, probably to training. Fucking Tavros needs help dealing with those nooksucking newbies.” Karkat runs a hand through his messy hair. Its pitch black like yours but in a wild tumble of disarray that is almost cute. Karkat has shadows under his eyes like he hasn’t slept in days but his back is straight and his deep red eyes are bright and alert. You nod again.

“Well then? Get dressed! Do I have to hold your hand or something? Are you so incompetent that you can’t even do that much without being told?” Karkat scowls and Rose coughs suggestively, catching his attention

“I do believe he was waiting for you to finish so as not to seem rude. And also for us to leave so he may dress in private.” Rose smiles in that way she does that makes you think she knows more than she lets on. Karkat huffs, then seems to remember something and reaches into the leather bag slung across his chest.  
Retrieving a leather-bound book, he hands it to Rose and instructs her to return it to the library and drop the next in the series by his room while you make your way to the closet you share with Dave. You get inside and blindly dress in dark blue leggings, bright blue tunic, and yellow shoes. You step out of the closet and find yourself alone in the room.

You slip down the hall and hear soft snores from Dirk’s room with Jane. He must be off today. You go downstairs and find Karkat pacing impatiently by the door and you can’t help the smile on your lips. He’s really childish despite his eloquent streams of cursing insults and anger. He stops and glares at you.

“The fuck are you smiling about?” He sneers and your smile widens despite your better judgment.

“Sorry General Vantas, I’m ready to leave. My apologies for the wait.”

“Whatever.” He grumbles and leaves the house. A few humans that were still inside give you a terrified look and you give them a reassuring smile. You seem more or less back to normal today. You just hope you don’t make Karkat blow up at you like yesterday in Feferi’s office.

You fall into a comfortable pace a few feet behind Karkat as he takes you to an open field, practice dummies set up in different places and stands full of different types of weapons. A dirt track was surrounding the training area and in the very center, General Nitram stood at attention, his metal legs gleaming in the sunlight. Karkat strides right over to him but you lag back a bit, unsure.

“Alright assholes. Let’s try to get through training today without any monumental fuckups on your part.” Karkat claps his hands to catch their attention and few of the trolls flinch at his presence. You notice the only human in the group and break into a smile. You didn’t know Dave trained in a group of trolls. That was a real honor! That he was considered good enough to be in the same class as them was rare for any human.

“Egbert, get your pasty ass over here.” Karkat snaps his fingers at you and scurry over quickly, fighting off a pout. You weren’t pasty… just pale. Dave’s eyes snap to you immediately and you wink at him. He isn’t wearing his shades, probably best but his bright red eyes are a bit startling in the sunlight.

You tune out the rest and watch as the trolls and Dave take turns running track and battling with weapons. There is a point during the day where you get to see Dave spar with a green-blooded troll and he would have won if the fight wasn’t broken up by General Nitram so he could explain good and bad techniques.  
You judge it to be around one o’clock when the session ends and Dave collapses under a tree. You look around, Karkat is talking heatedly to Tavros about something so you run to join your best friend.

“Hey Dave!” You sit down beside him and he nods in greeting.

“So that’s General Jackass?” Dave gestures towards Karkat and you gape.

“Don’t call him that Dave! He’ll get angry! And he’s really scary when he’s angry, trust me.” You warn him sternly. Dave’s face sets and his mouth turns into a hard line of disapproval.

“That’s what the other trainees call him. And how would you know? Did he hurt you? Fucking trolls. If I see him lay a hand on you I’ll-”

“Dave! I’m flattered you care so much but you can’t hurt Karkat, he’s a fucking noble! And besides, I don’t think Karkat would hurt me. Sure he’s rough around the edges but I don’t think Feferi would have assigned me to him if my safety were in danger. She even ordered him to be nice to me.” You explain, hoping that didn’t sound like you were choosing the troll over your friend. That must be what it seemed like to Dave though.

“Whatever Egderp.” Dave sighs and stands. You do the same and pout.

“Come on Dave. He’s not that bad. Once you get past the yelling and the anger. Rose seems to think he’s ok.” You counter.

“She doesn’t count... Not when she… with a troll.” Dave spat and you cringe. Talk of trolls always elicited a bitter Strider so you usually tried to stray from the subject as much as possible. He’s had a terrible hatred for them for few years. Starting with his cousin’s death. With her murder.

“I don’t un-” You begin, reaching out to take his hand in a placating attempt when Karkat’s voice rings out.

“Egbert! We’re leaving now! Hurry up.” He has his arms crossed and looks impatient so you squeeze Dave’s hand gently before leaving towards your charge.

“Where are we headed now Karkat, sir?” You ask once you’re a few feet from him.

“Kitchen, I’m starved.” Karkat turns to leave and you follow, your stomach growling as you realize your own hunger. You didn’t have breakfast, you usually eat some bread when you get to the kitchen in the morning with Jane but that won’t happen anymore. Karkat hears your stomach protest its emptiness and he turns his head to face you. 

You are expecting anger or at least annoyance but instead he’s smirking sarcastically. 

“If you’re hungry pick up the pace dumbass.” He walks faster and you happily catch up, making it to the kitchen in a few minutes. Jane is working steadily, kneading dough, flour on her face and arms and clothes. A few of the other cooks, mostly rust-blooded trolls and the occasional yellow-blood notice your entrance and bow to Karkat before resuming their work. 

“Hi Jane.” You call and surprise her, you can tell because she squeaks and her glasses go lopsided and fall down the bridge of her nose.

“John? General Vantas? To what honor do I owe to this visit?” Jane bows politely though her eyes are sparkling with barely concealed curiosity.

“I haven’t eaten all day. Think you could manage a sandwich? Um.. .two?” He adds, remembering you at the last second. The fact that he remembered you at all is a bit surprising and send s jolt through you. You smile a bit wider and Jane gives you a funny look before leaving to retrieve a loaf of bread to slice for the sandwiches. As Karkat specifies what he wants you stand against a wall, enjoying the familiar smell of bread and food.

You see a pot on the stove, unattended and go to it. It’s a cooling pot of soup, more than half empty but it’s enough to fill two bowls so you get to work. A few new spices and seasonings, a few chunks of leftover meat found in the refrigerator, and a quarter of an onion are added. You turn heat up high and smile at the bubbling concoction. It doesn’t take long for the stew to heat up and you pour the rest into two bowls. 

Karkat has the sandwiches and looks at your bowls.

“What’s that?” He raises an eyebrow and sits down at a small table in the corner of the kitchen. You sit across from him and smile.

“Stew, I added a few things to a cooling pot that was probably going to be thrown out anyway. You did say you were starving so I didn’t think just a sandwich would help. Besides, I’m pretty hungry too.” Your face dusts a light red and he looks at his stew and sandwich.

“It’s not half bad.” Karkat grumbles around his spoon and you flush harder. Why were so embarrassed by this? It’s not like people haven’t tasted you cooking before. The Empress has enjoyed her fair share of you and Jane’s cakes. Karkat should be no exception. But you couldn’t help the surge of joy at the fact that he liked your quick fix.

The two of you eat in a comfortable silence, the sound of dishes clanging and demands and orders being thrown around the kitchen were all you could hear. Once you’ve finished the meal, Karkat and you wonder around for a bit. You attempt to play chess with him but fail miserably. He calls you a few choice insults and you move on. Eventually you end up in the library and he’s disappeared down an isle of books that looks suspiciously like a romance section. You bite back any jokes for fear the troll may just snap and attack you.

Another noble eventually joins you, followed by Nepeta. You learn that Karkat and the other noble, Gamzee, are moirails after Nepeta whispers it to you. She has a knowing smile on your face when she catches you staring at the two cuddling in a corner. She giggles and says something about updating her ‘wall’ and you have no idea what that means.

But you do remember that moirails is a quadrant in troll romance that is loosely related to what you have with Dave: best bros. For some reason, knowing the cuddling and Karkat reading to Gamzee not being romantic in your definition causes you relief. Nepeta just giggles more and cuddles up in your lap and tells you to read to her. So you do. You don’t see why not. Your own charge seems too busy to notice or care.

You’re second day as a personal attendant for Karkat Vantas seems to be going well, if not rather lazily. Rose is packing up to leave by the time Nepeta finally wakes up from her nap on your lap and you wave goodbye to Karkat and follow Rose home. He seems confused as to why you were leaving but rolled his eyes and said he’d see you later.

Once you get home you follow Rose to your room and find Dave on the stairs, blocking your path.

“The fuck is going on John?” Dave demands, hurt and rage barely concealed.

“What are you talking about Dave? What’s the matter?” You reach out to him but he pulls away.

“You know damn well! You become that asshole’s attendant and suddenly you’re too good for us?” Dave jabs a finger in your face and you flinch, almost falling backwards down the stair. Rose seems just as confused as you but says nothing.

“Dave, I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.” You whimper, why was he being like this? Why did he think you thought you were better than them all of a sudden? They were your best friends and family!

“All your stuff is gone! Some guys came by earlier and said you wouldn’t be living here anymore. You were moving in with General Fuckass. I’m so glad you’re moving up in the world John, but I’d appreciate you having the decency to get off your knees long enough to warn the rest of us when this kind of shit happens.” Dave yelled, trembling. Tears stung your eyes and you were really hurt by what he was saying. Rose was scowling at her brother.

A sudden pale hand came up behind Dave and smacked him so hard his shades fell from his face and down the stairs. Dirk was behind him in a black wife beater and his pointy shades in place. A frown was clear on his face.

“What the actual fuck Dirk?!” Dave screams and whirls around to his brother. Dirk takes the opportunity to slap him again.

“Are you really that stupid Dave? I’m ashamed to be related to you actually. You think John would actually act like that? All personal attendants are expected to live with their charges. Anyone remember why Jake left?” Dirk sneered at Dave then turned to John with a softer gaze.

“Don’t mind the asshole, he’s just feeling a bit upset and doesn’t know how to express it. You better get going to your charge’s room though before it gets too late. You might get in trouble.” Dirk pats you shoulder and leaves, probably going to the lab to work with Equius. Dirk had the weirdest work hours.  
Your head is reeling. You won’t be living here anymore? But instead with Karkat? You’re not sure how you feel about that. This means you’ll spend less time with your friends…

“Dave…” You venture but the cool kid absconds to your old shared room. You don’t share it anymore. A hand lays on your shoulder.

“Don’t worry about him. I’ll talk to him; you just go to Karkat’s room. I’ll also tell Jane when she gets back. It’ll be best if she hears it from a sensible standpoint.” 

Rose kisses your cheek and goes up the stairs and you frown. You’re reluctant to leave but you guess you have too.  
You leave the house somber, Dave’s words still fresh in your mind. You’d have to make it up to him… after all you’re pretty sure you would have acted similarly if you’d come home and thought your best friend was leaving you for good.

Karkat welcomes you gruffly when you knock and you see it’s true that your things were moved to his room. There is even a bed in the opposite corner of Karkat’s recoopracoon. It takes a while to settle without the gentle sounds of Rose and Dave around you but you manage to drift off to Karkat’s soft snores. It almost sounded like purring….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh, sorry for OOC Dave. in my mind, he was always really protective of John cuz hey, best bros. Dave is just upset, still being a bitch but hey. I promise he gets better


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is still a mostly Johnkat fic but I'll be skipping perspectives every chapter. This is a relatively short chapter

==> Be Rose Lalonde

You are Rose and you are currently in the library. Book shelves that reach the ceiling are stocked with books, the smell of parchment, leather, and ink comfort you so early in the morning. It has been about a week since your friend John became the personal attendant of one Karkat Vantas, and you see whenever he comes into the library with the angry noble.

He is not here now but another noble is walking into main area of your work building. This troll, unlike the short, feisty troll John is charged with, is calm and graceful. Tall and elegant with black hair styled and shiny. Her black lips curve into a small smile as she catches your eyes. You return it with a sincere nod. A pale hand swipes a stray strand of platinum hair from your face and behind an ear. The female troll comes closer and stands in front of your desk, graceful even stagnant.

“Greetings Rose, I trust you to be well?” The noble smiles, bright green eyes flashing coyly.

“I cannot complain Kanaya. I do hope you are doing just as well.” You close the book you were reading and place it carefully to your left, near a precariously stacked pile of books and papers.

“I’ve been busy, Aradia and Sollux are coming to Altaria in a matter of weeks and Feferi has insisted a gala be thrown before they leave. I’ve been very tedious about her dress.” Kanaya leans against the dark wood of your desk and smiles at you.

“I’m sure if you are working on it, it will be work of art.”

“You flatter Lalonde.” You both smile and slip into a comfortable silence as she collects a book on color scheming and sifts through the suggestions. You doubt she needs the references with her seamstress skills and design expertise. Minutes pass before your curiosity takes over and you clear your throat. Kanaya looks up from the book expectantly.

“I do hope I am not being nosey but I can’t help but to concern myself with this. It involves the relationship of General Vantas and his attendant.” You say, avoiding personal terms like “your friend”.

“John and Karkat?” Kanaya asks in clarification. A smile shows and you see her fangs clearly. “What about them?”

“I only wish to know how they are faring together. Karkat is not the most… social troll there is. John also happens to be a bit of an—excuse my vocabulary—idiot at times. The two don’t seem to fit well together.” You busy your hands by splitting that tall tower of books into two, in case it wanted to fall over anytime soon.

“Karkat may be abrasive but he is actually very sweet. He just doesn’t like to get close to others due to… past experiences.” Kanaya slows and pauses, her eyes sparkling with memories.

“May I ask what those were?” You venture.

“As you know, Karkat’s blood is not of the hemospectrum.” You nod and you continue. “Here it is considered and oddity, strange but not a bad thing. There was once a time in a different place where he would have been killed if his blood color were discovered. Due to these circumstances he has taken to making little social interaction and doesn’t show weakness easily.” Kanaya closes her own book and walks away to put it away. She comes back and sits at a chess table near your desk, looking at you through half-lidded eyes.

“Unlike the majority of the others, he never got out of his old habits. He hides how much he cares under violence and crude words. I would not worry about John though. I do believe that the blue boy is quite good for dear Karkat.” Kanaya smiles to herself and it’s almost as if she’s talking to herself now. “Maybe Karkat will open up a little. It may be too much to hope for but he does seem a bit more involved ever since John was assigned to him. I wonder if Feferi…” The noble trails off and refocuses on you.

“My apologies.” She says louder than her former whisper.

“No need.” You wave off her concerns. Kanaya stands and sways over to you, leaning on her elbows and she is now a few inches from your face.

“I was apologizing for my absence in the library as of late, dear. I have been quite busy. I’ve missed your company terribly.” She smirks, grey tongue swiping over her lower lip before leaning in a bit closer. A blush crosses your face and you lean away, turning towards the pile of books.

“And I have missed yours as well.” You smile, Kanaya captures your hands and holds you captive at the desk.

“What is it you humans say? ‘Actions speak louder than words’.” Kanaya closes the gap between the two of you and lets her lips do what her words could not fully express.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did I say relatively short? I meant very short


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we return with your regularly scheduled JohnKat♥

==> Be Karkat Vantas

It has been a little more than two weeks since you were condemned to hell with one John Egbert. The fucking idiot seems to have warmed up to you despite your less that welcoming attitude. You don’t know whether to be relieved or enraged, all though, why would you be relieved? Ugh, his stupidity must be contagious.  
Said human is now snoring quite loudly on the bed that was placed in a corner of the room. His body is cocooned in the grey blankets and you think you see him shiver; well that’s what he gets for sleeping in short sleeves and shorts. For Altaria’s sakes, winter was almost in full swing and that inane Earth weather phenomenon “snow” would no doubt cover the land soon. John’s body twitches awake and he yawns.

“Karkat? What are you doing up so early?” He asks lazily and you bite back a stinging remark. It was fairly early, the sun only having peaked over the horizon an hour ago.

“We’re going somewhere today and I want to get it the fuck over with.” You answer, going to your closet to pull on a grey and black over coat, it covers your black button down and red vest but you don’t really care because fuck it was cold. Its days like this you miss the warm climates of Alternia. Fuck your creation and it’s varying temperatures! And why had Feferi wanted to settle here? Why did Aradia get the only region that was closest to Alternia’s in climate?

“Oh, let me just get dressed.” John rubs his eyes and shivers before hopping out of bed and making his way beside you to pick out his clothes. Those obnoxious blues gave you a headache… but they looked nice on him. You remember a time—about a week ago—when you realized the human was a lost cause. From the moment he called you “Karcrab” you hated his guts and reveled in the idea of seeing them strewn across Feferi’s office floor. You were blacker than the outer ring for this idiot. Well… not so much anymore. He was too stupid to get your advances.

You almost engaged in a hate-makeout once but the absolute terror on his face at the sight you your fangs so close to his face coupled with your snarling left you with an odd twinge of regret. As much as you hated his dorky smile, you hated this face ten times worse. It was at that moment you decided to give up on a kismesistude with John. You now searched for something a bit more platonic. John called it “friendship”, you called it “bullshit”.

John slips a dark blue tunic on and you raise an eyebrow in amusement and relief that it’s long sleeved. He turns to you and his face gets a little dark, his cheeks already flushed from the cold.

“Where to?” He asks and you look away and stride out of your room, John follows, used to this kind of response: walk first, explain on the way.

“We are going into town to get some supplies.” You answer quickly and nod at a few guards as you leave the mansion. John stays close behind you, closer than normal and you wonder if he’s ever been to the part of town you are headed. It takes you a while to get there and by the time you actually do arrive its well into the morning and the streets are busy. Humans were not allowed to go into the troll parts of the city without good reason and or a troll with them. Humans lived in the poorer areas and any places on the border were heavily segregated. You think he might be scared when you look at his face and scowl. Dumbass.

John is standing quite close to you and is smiling like a brain-damaged grub. He looked excited and awed at the colorful banners and shops that lined the streets, he barely noticed the offhanded glares that were thrown his way and began to babble away.

“So what are we getting Karkat? Did Equius ask you to get some parts or something? No, it seems like Dirk would be responsible for that, not you. Did Feferi ask you for something then?” John just keeps talking and you really think you’re about to start yelling for him to shut the fuck up. You somehow manage to keep calm because fuck would that be embarrassing in front of all these trolls. A noble just blowing up at his attendant. Feferi would not be happy with that publicity.

“John, I’m going to need you to stop talking please and wait for me right here. I’m just going across the way here and I’ll be out in a few minutes. Think you can handle that? I don’t want to overwhelm you.” You sneer half-heartedly. John only smiles and nods, taking your warning to shut up. You smile—it’s more of a content smirk actually—and you take your leave to the red bricked store.

\--

As promised you return to the spot across the street a few minutes later. The only change is that there is a bag in your hand, packed with mapping supplies and pretty inks. Aradia liked to explore and you figured your friend could use a few more things when she went out and charted the region given to her by Feferi. You stand at the spot where John had been a few minutes ago, when you left. You curse loudly, causing a few heads to turn. 

“Where the hell did that fuckass go? I thought he said he could handle standing in one place for a few minutes without wondering off.” You growl to yourself in annoyance. You stalk off in search of the idiot, sure he couldn't have gotten too far. A small whine comes from an alley you just passed a second ago, followed by a sharp, muffled gasp and a few soft thunks. You pay no attention to it until recognition floods you and you know that whine: John.

Spinning on your heels you round the corner of the alley and see three figures shrouded in shadow—the roofs of the two buildings on either side of the space clotting out any sunlight. It takes a second for your hunter eyes adjust and you see the three figures clearer, they seem to be kicking at a small bundle of blue at their feet. And laughing.

Rage consumes you when you realize what they are doing and who they are doing it too. They are hurting John. Your John. You step forward, a menacing growl ripped from your throat and one of the offending trolls stops and looks at you. He doesn’t have time to recognize you because you are jabbing your elbow hard into his stomach and kicking him a few feet away from you where he falls slack on the ground in pain. The other two turn towards you and you slam a fist into the one on the right’s face, the one who seemed the most reluctant to stop hurting John and take notice to their guest. The nerve!

You feel warm gushing as you break the troll’s nose and vaguely register it as blue. Deep blue. The troll hisses in pain but is backing away. The one troll you haven’t had the chance to hurt yet is helping the first off the ground. You take a step forward and all three take off running out of the other end of the alley. Anger bubbling and you decide to punch a wall, the sting of scraped knuckles grounds you and you remember why you wanted to make them swallow their own bulges and strangle them with the appendages.

John has his eyes clamped shut and is a mess of shivering and whimpers below you. 

“John?” You tentatively reach out to him, crouching until your elbows are resting on your knees for support. John flinches away from you and he is so different from the bubbly dork you left on the sidewalk a few minutes ago. His glasses are cracked in several places and off center, his hair is even more of a mess than usual, his blue tunic is dirty with dirt and faint traces of blood. His face is what throws you into a fit of harsh growls. 

It’s not pretty anymore, the soft, creamy skin is now bruised and purple and red. His lip is bleeding and there is a thin trail red flowing from somewhere behind his messy bangs. John curls further in on himself at your noises and you cut them off.

“John.” You say more forcefully. “Christ John, it’s me. Open your damn eyes.” You say, losing your patience. You want to see those blue orbs that put the sky to shame. You realize that they would comfort you more than the image of those assholes begging for mercy ever could. John slowly opens one eye and you think it’s out of hesitation or weariness but you realize it’s because the other is swollen shut.

“Kar…kat?” He whispers in a pained voice and you lean forward and take him in your arms. He flinches at your touch and it hurts, even though you know it’s not because he’s scared of you and fuck, it just pisses you off more that he’s like this!

“We’re going home now John.” You breathe into his ear and he shivers once before melting into your touch and hugging you closer. 

\--

You pull the covers up to his chin, the doctor leaving the room. You cover John’s freshly bandaged chest and hope the extra blankets you’ve wrapped him in are enough to keep him warm. The sun is still up but you don’t feel like doing anything but sitting on the edge of John’s bed and absently stroking his cheek. He’s a asleep now and his bright blue eyes are closed peacefully. 

You’re glad he’s asleep now, you have to leave soon to talk with Terezi and you don’t want the persistent asshole to insist on going with you as your attendant. You know he would do it. You swipe your thumb over a bruised cheek and his eyelids flutter before stilling again. You sigh and get off the bed. How the actual fuck did you manage going from black to red so damn quickly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh, I hope I'm doing this right


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave's POV! Warning: mild sexual content? just kissing... and biting but nothing bad. enjoy~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another short chapter, sorry.

==> Be Dave Strider

Karkat is grumbling to himself, walking quickly to the office you are guarding at the moment. You stop yourself from sticking your foot out and tripping him. It’s a juvenile trick but the damn troll was barely paying attention to anything other than the teal symbol on the door to your right. As he passes, you frown at your brief nearness to the troll.

You hate trolls, you fucking hate them. Even in training, after you’ve royally kicked some douche’s ass, you were still frowned upon because your skin wasn’t grey and you didn’t have those dumbass horns. They weren’t even ironic.

Karkat slams the door once he’s inside and you wonder how John could stand this guy’s attitude all the time. Sure he was an idiot but surely he wasn’t stupid enough to mistake his charge’s rage for friendship? Ugh, you just start worrying all over again. You’re pissed that John has to spend all his time with the asshole but whenever you try and talk to him about it or anything really anymore that anger just lashes out at John. You didn’t want that. You sigh.

“To what do I owe this pleasure Karkles?” It’s Terezi’s high pitched scratch of a voice that makes you realize that Vantas hadn’t let the door latch properly and it was slightly ajar. You’d be able to hear everything they said to each other. Not that you were too interested. The fuck did they have to say that interested you?  
Oh sweet irony, how it loved to bend you over and fuck you without warning. It just so happens that Karkat has let your best bro’s name slip from his mouth in a very purposeful gesture. They’re talking about John. You make an attempt to listen now.

“- and you need to DO something about it Pyrope!” The gruff voice of Karkat is easily distinguished and you grimace.

“I don’t really think I can Karkat.” Terezi sighs. You imagine her with an ashen hand to her head, exasperated. 

“I don’t think you fucking heard me, Terezi. This was blatant offense to us. You should see his face Terezi. I want you to see what those nooksuckers did to it and then tell me you can’t do anything about it.” Karkat rants shortly. You imagine him to be stomping in miniature hissy fit of rage and stupidity. 

Seemed like something the shorty would do.

“Karkat, I’m almost positive they weren’t even aware he was your attendant. It’s not like he had your symbol anywhere on his person. I’d be inclined to believe their ignorance.” Terezi sighs again but you don’t create a mental image to go with the sound, you’re too busy silently flipping your shit. Yep, there it goes, all the way down the hall and down the stairs. You’ll never find that shit again, no matter how hard you try. You’ll miss it and hope it lives its life how it always wanted to.

John… Karkat’s attendant… His face? Did… Did someone…?

“Listen here Pyrope; I don’t have time for your bullshit. He’s in bed bruised and the bleeding has only recently stopped.” He hisses and it’s not hard to imagine Karkat’s face scrunched up in fierce protective emotion. Similar to yours now. Someone, some troll most likely—oh who were you shitting? Of course it was one of those bastards! What human would hurt John?—had hurt him. He was laying in bed, bruised and at one point had been bleeding. 

A vicious trembling takes over your body as it sinks in. Fuck! You want to find whoever did it and bash their skulls into the nearest wall.

“Karkat…” Terezi speaks up after a long moment of silence. Her voice sounds inquisitive, “why do you suddenly care so much about the John human? I’m sure this abuse goes on all the time and you’ve never shown an interest in it—or humans in general for that matter—before now. Would you like me to start looking into such ‘crimes’?” She adds after Karkat doesn’t answer her first question. He still doesn’t answer this one.

“It would be a waste of resources Karkat. You know that. If I were suddenly start caring about this then it still wouldn’t do anything to help. Who would report the incidences when it happened? No one would Karkat. And if I were only to punish the three that hurt John then that would seem a tad unfair to other victims don’t you think? It is an overall bad idea to take any action.” Terezi finished, gradually getting a bit louder so she could be heard over Karkat’s rising growl.

“Fuck you Terezi. I thought you of all trolls would help. You’re a shame to justice.” He spits.

“You and I both know you want revenge Karkat, not justice. Those are two different concepts.” She says calmly, almost as if talking to a child. Karkat mutters something and you hear his footsteps nearing a few seconds before he barges out and stalks down the hall and out of sight.

“Dave?” The call is faint and you pretend not to hear it. Bitch didn’t want to help John, why should you care if she wanted you? “Dave.” She calls louder this time. Silence rolls between them for a long moment before you relent and appear in the doorway.

“Yes Miss Pyrope?” Stuffy, professional, emotionless. That is what reflects in your voice when you speak.

“I know you heard.” She furrows her brows and her blind eyes glance over her red glasses, it freaks you out how her eyes can lock with yours when she can’t even fucking see! “I could smell you shaking.” She takes a deep breath through her nose to emphasize. “And I can smell your anger.”

“I was simply not aware John had been… injured.” You say evenly, taking a moment to pause to keep emotion from trickling into your voice.She sighs. 

“What do you think I should do Dave? I feel bad for Karkat even if he probably hates me for real right now. He seems to care for John… more than he should.” Head in her hands, her cheeks puff out in annoyed contemplation.

“With all due respect Miss Pyrope, it’s Karkat’s fault in the first place. If he had had a closer eye on his attendant in the first place then this would not have happened. Karkat was being irresponsible.” You say, biting your lip in frustration. That damn troll pretended to care so much about John but it was his fault. Trolls were always hurting your friends, first Roxy and now John. You would have never let anyone lay a hand on John. Terezi doesn’t take to kindly to your opinion.

“Don’t you dare blame this on Karkat. It might all be John’s fault anyway.” Terezi snaps, standing up and abruptly. 

“Don’t fucking put John’s name in your mouth.” You growl, breaking composure and she’s striding forward. Ashen hands grip and twist at the front of your shirt and she pulls you close to her, hissing angrily. You sneer back at her, hate setting fire to your red eyes.

In a crash of lips and hands and skin, you find yourself on the ground, Terezi biting your shoulder hard and straddling you. You wince in pain as you feel skin break and you put your own teeth to her neck. A soft juncture where even your “dull” teeth can do damage to the thicker troll skin. You taste blood but ignore it and dig deeper, wanting to hurt her. 

The moan she lets out startles you before you realize something. Fuck… this was one of those twisted black romances wasn’t it? The one based off hate. Claws scrabble at your shoulders and lips meet yours. The hell did you get yourself into? You fucking hate trolls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never elaborate on Roxy, but basically, she died. The troll she worked for killed her. I have the whole thing figured out but I don't think I'll have anyplace to shove that info in. Just know she died and move on.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this chapter is not even necessary in the entire story. I wrote it on a whim. You can skip past it if you want. This is just a little DirkJake chapter. Also explains how Jade died. Because she did.

==> Be Jake English

What? Why you? That’s a strange request but you don’t mind much. You’re very happy right now. Guards at the front gate greet Aradia and Sollux with bows and you ignore their glares at you. You happily trot after Aradia like a puppy. Your own puppy follows you loyally.

“Aradia, love, how long will we be staying this time?” You ask and she laughs. Sollux answers for her.

“About a week.” His glasses glint in the midday sun and send off a red and blue glare. You know he’s excited to be here. All three of you miss your friends here in Altaria. You in particular are aching to see one particular face. Once inside the mansion, you are greeted by Nepeta who hugs you all tightly, purring loudly. She grabs onto Aradia’s hand and begins to lead you all to Feferi’s office, babbling excitedly. You hear news about what’s been going on and find out your cousin John is Karkat’s personal attendant now. She also mentions some other things you don’t catch because you are too busy staring down a staircase.  
Sollux catches your distraction and sighs.

“If you’re going to act like that Jake, go find Robot-boy. We’ll meet up again for dinner.” Sollux adjusts his glasses even though they look just fine to you and grabs hold of his matesprit’s hand and drags her away with Nepeta following. You didn’t even get a chance to politely decline which you are glad for. 

Taking the steps two at a time makes the trip downward much quicker and the black dog following behind you wags her tail in joy. You are now standing in a dimly lit corridor in the mansion’s basement. Your feet move without you needing to think about where you’re going. You know the way to his lab by heart. Memories of you sneaking out of the service house to meet him here when he worked late rush back and your pace quickens. Does he know you’re here? Had he heard of your arrival beforehand? 

You stop at a metal door and slowly creak it open, the spikey-haired boy tinkering with a metal form doesn’t seem to notice you. You stand in the doorway, back against cold metal and arms crossed over your chest in amusement. Your dog sits beside your feet and waits for your next move. You miss watching him work, the way strong hands could handle delicate wire and the way he molded the material to whatever he wanted it to be.

You watch and you wait but he doesn’t turn around and you’re quite sure he doesn’t even know you’re here. Your lips play up into a smirk and you clear your throat loudly. His back tenses under his black wife-beater and he turns slowly to look at you.

“J-Jake…” Dirk begins slowly, calculating.

“Why hello there old chap. Fancy meeting you here.” You chuckle and walk towards him, kneeling beside him. Fingers thread with yours automatically and a warmth you’ve been missing spreads through you. It makes your heart stutter and your face heat up. “Dirk.” You almost sigh and he smiles.  
The two of you embrace tightly, hands retracing over each other, trying to soak in all the lost contact.

“What’s that?” Dirk asks after a long moment of comfortable silence, you know what he’s talking about when he asks but you don’t feel like answering yet. You have your own questions.

“I could ask the same question to you Dirk.” You chuckle and he melts into you further, as if the sound warms his heart. You’d tease him about it but you really are curious about the hunk of metal Dirk had been working on before you interrupted. It actually kind of looks like Dirk, from his metalically styled hair to the red glasses that are identical to the ones Dirk wears right now.

“Just something I’ve been working one.” He answers.

“I highly doubt the world needs two Dirk Striders in it.” You laugh again and he holds tighter still.

“So are you going to tell me why there is a dog sleeping in Equius’s pile of towels? They’re clean but Equius might not be too happy about it.” You can feel Dirk smile into your shoulder. 

“I found her when Aradia and I were exploring a rather interesting jungle. It was jolly good fun, believe me. She was injured so we took her home as quick as possible…. I named her Jade.” With that last statement, Dirk’s smile fades abruptly.

“Jake.” He deadpans.

“She kind of looks like her, don’t you think? The black fur and all. She even has green eyes just like her. The old girl even has the same taste for adventure and boy does she sleep like a beast, can’t wake her up with a marching band.” You voice is thick with sadness and Dirk squeezes tighter.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers and you sigh.

“It’s not your fault Dirk. It never was.” You rub his back and murmur calmly to him. You kiss along his jawline and comfort him. You know he blames himself for your cousin’s death and you know it’s not his fault. You love Dirk. You love him you hold him closer and continue to comfort him. You decide not to tell him about the mountain lion you found… whom you decided to name Roxy. You’ll tell him later and you know he’ll appreciate the irony that the big cat likes to invade the wine cellar for a drink sometimes.

==> Remember Jade

The two of you are down in the lab, Equius has left you to finish the war horse machine the three of you have been building for the past month. Jade’s hair is pulled into a thick ponytail and your own is tied up. You’re laughing as Equius ushers Nepeta out of the lab and proceeds to make sure she actually leaves the basement. 

The two of you work under the blue-blooded troll as apprentices. You are the best of friends. Jade is cutting and reattaching wires and you are adding oil to its joints so it can move efficiently when you test it out. You’re both working on the last bit of electric and mechanical details when Jade starts it up. 

Whirring sounds up in the large room and you are both content on the results. Equius would be proud of you two. A sudden whiney comes from the metal horse and you both jerk your heads towards the sound. The horse bucks and slams into Jade. Her scream is cut short and you back away. It’s galloping around the room, destroying things without command or reason, the exact opposite of what it’s designed to do. It starts to tremble in its rampage and sparks at its joints. 

Its malfunctioning. 

You’ve made a mistake. 

The sudden explosion surprises you and you slam into a wall, crunching down into metal painfully. You’re eyes burn and tears slide agonizingly down your face. Your right ear, the one closest to the blast, is ringing and bloodied.

You don’t see Equius rush back into the room, you can’t see anything. His strong hands wrap gently around you and you jump. 

“Jade…” You moan and the hands leave. You black out.

==> Be Dirk Strider

You and Jake are laughing at the dinner table. Feferi smiles at something Sollux says and Nepeta is cuddling up next to Equius. Tavros is talking to Aradia and Terezi. Gamzee is nowhere to be seen and Kanaya is talking calmly with Karkat, who looks like he’d rather be drowning than be at the small dinner party. John is sitting beside him and laughing and chatting excitedly with Kanaya and Karkat. You notice that John is quite close to the troll and that the nubby-horned jackass doesn’t seem so uptight around your little blue friend.

Jake is holding your left hand under the table; you prefer to keep him on your left, so he doesn’t see your ear. The one Equius made for you. Karkat yells at you to “take off your fucking glasses you manner-less little shit” but you only laugh and wave off his comment. You don’t like showing off your robotic, tangerine eyes to Jake. It makes him sad that Equius had to make you new ones so you could see. You had tried the whole “smell for sight” thing but Terezi wasn’t exactly the best teacher on the subject.

Feferi announces that Vriska will be arriving in two days and you all make jokes and enjoy the dinner that Jane no doubt made extra special for her returning brother. You grasp the darker hand tighter and smile, glancing from the corner of your eye at him. His adventuring with Aradia has really given him an enviable tan compared to your pale complexion. 

Jake smiles at you brightly and guides your joined hands up to his mouth to kiss. Nepeta notices and feigns a swoon. Jake blushes bright red, thinking he had been sly and you roll your eyes. John is blushing too and Karkat pretends to gag. Kanaya hits him.


	7. Chapter 7

==> Be John Egbert

You wake up to an empty respi- bedroom. Damn those troll terms were starting to wear off on you. You yawn and wince at the strain on your shoulder. You’ve mostly healed from the incident, nothing but a few fading bruises and a few aches now and then. The doctor said you were fine but not to stress yourself too hard. Karkat seemed to take this to heart.

You lean over to read whatever note he’s left for you today, excusing you from following him around. Today is that he’ll be with Sollux all day and you didn’t need to bother with it. Of course there were a lot more words, mostly colorful insults and metaphors and other things that made no sense but brought a smile to your face regardless. 

You set the note down and slip out from under the pale blue sheets—Karkat had replaced the grey ones for you—and you went to take a bath. After about an hour in the deliciously warm water you reluctantly get dressed. One of Karkat’s grey tunics, all yours were being washed today, and a pair of dark blue trousers and laced up boots.

Leaving the room you decide to wonder the halls. Your shoulder still hurts but how can it get better if you never give it a little work out?

“Hey, shorty!” A condescending voice calls for your attention from behind you. Your bored expression falters into one of annoyance. You weren’t that short! You turn anyway and glare.

“What?” You deadpan, using your knowledge that since you were Karkat’s attendant, you technically didn’t have to listen to anyone but him and someone of higher status—Feferi. The troll who had spoken glares at you with interest, no doubt surprised by your attitude. She has blue lipstick and pretty blue lashes. She wears a pair of glasses with the right lens blacked out and seven dots in the center. Her cobalt jacket goes to her knees along with a pair of black boots.

“Well now? We have a sassy little wriggler now don’t we? I could have you killed for talking to me like that.” She places a hand on her hips and smirks.

“No you can’t. I’m a noble’s assistant. Only he or Empress Feferi can have me killed… legally.” You add because there is a glint in her eye that tells you she probably does illegal things all the time. Who is this troll? A guest maybe?

She seemed to take great amusement in your statement and laughs in your face. She covers her mouth with the back of her hand and calms herself.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve to talk to me like that. I’m the best there is. It is me. I’m glad you’re no submissive wimp like every other human in this damn mansion.” She chuckles and stick out her hand. “Vriska.” She states.

“John.” You shake her hand. Vriska doesn’t seem too bad, you conclude. A bit rude but not too bad. This was a far better first impression than the one you’d had with Karkat.

“Well John, mind taking me to Feferi’s office? It’s been a while since I was here last and I’m lost.” Vriska admits begrudgingly. “I’m lucky I ran into you. I’m always lucky. I have all of it. The luck that is.” Vriska brightens and you find yourself smiling too.

“Sure.” You beam at the troll and take walk down the hall with her following. “I’m guessing you’re the last noble?” He says, remembering Feferi saying something about a noble arriving soon.

“That’s right, not as dumb as you look though you’ve still got a way to go.” She laughs and you roll your eyes. You end up walking side by side by the time you reach Feferi’s office and Vriska is telling you the absolute best story you’ve ever heard about piracy. She’d plundered a great haul with only herself and three other trolls against dozens of armed and dangerous enemies. You laughed and shared stories, mostly her stories, when an angry little figure stands in front of the door with Feferi’s symbol.

“It’s about time. Fucking taking your damn time.” Karkat growls and opens the door for her.

“Shut it nub-horns.” She waves him off and closes the door behind her. He glares at the wood for a moment and then at you when he catches your barely muffled chuckle.

“Don’t fucking talk to her nookstain. She’s dangerous.” He warns with a clawed finger pointing at you for emphasis. 

“Oh come on Karkat, she’s not dangerous. She’s really cool.” You smile but he keeps glaring.

“She’s the one that crippled Tavros in the first place. She did it on purpose. Made him jump off a fucking cliff.” Karkat says. You don’t bat an eye, she already told you this.

“Yeah but didn’t Kanaya chainsaw off his legs in his sleep. That’s kinda low too.”

“Don’t defend her, Kanaya only did to help.” Karkat throws his hands up in exasperation, he looks genuinely upset. “Why are you even out of bed? I told you to stay put until I got you for dinner.”

“Oh come on Karkat. I’m fine!” You whine. “I don’t like staying in bed all day, sure it was cool the first few days but now it’s just boring.”

“Fine then! Go run a fucking marathon if you feel so great. Then maybe you can join the Spider Bitch to go ruin the minds of tiny wrigglers. You seem awfully close to her already, who knows. You might share the same interest of ruining lives like her.” Karkat’s voice has a bite to it, one you hadn’t heard in a while. 

“Karkat-” You begin but are interrupted by a soft cackling.

“I guess Vriska finally made it?” Terezi says. Karkat huffs and stalks into Feferi’s office without another word. Terezi cackles again and follows after him. Dave comes up behind you and you turn around with a big smile.

“Dave!” You beam at the stoic boy. His lips quirk into a fast smile.

“Egderp.” He teases and you’re glad he’s not in a crappy mood. You really don’t like being near him when he’s like that. The other trolls walk past you to enter the room and Nepeta gives you a big hug and you get a wide smile from Gamzee. Once you two are alone in the hallway again you start talking. Catching up on lost times since you barely see each other anymore save for when Karkat goes to help Tavros with training. After a while, Dave goes quiet from a fit of laughter and asks, “So what was the asshole yelling about?” He asks casually.

“I don’t think he likes me hanging out with Vriska. She’s the noble that came in today. He told me to stay away from her. I think he was jealous though.” You giggle. That’s what you thought anyway. Dave freezes at your accusation. “Dave? What’s wrong?” You ask. Dave takes a deep breath like he's about to get something off his chest.

“John… do you… like Karkat?” He asks, staring at the polished ground. He's acting strangely and sounds kind of... scared? You lift a curious eyebrow but laugh after a second.

“Of course I do. He may not seem all that nice but he’s actually really cool. Not as cool as you though.” You laugh harder and nudge the red-clad boy. He doesn’t return your affection but instead snorts.

“Let me clarify… do you like him… Romantically?” Dave asks slowly. Now it’s your turn to freeze.

“What?” You ask but you don’t listen when he repeats himself. You don’t know how to answer that. Somewhere in your head you want to laugh and wave it off, claiming to not be a homosexual but another part… Ugh! Now you’re really confused! Why the hell did Dave spring this up on you and why were you hesitating so much to decline the implications?

You like Karkat, he was a really good friend even though he yelled a lot, you knew he cared. But did your affection for the troll go beyond friendship? One night, right after you’d been injured, Karkat must have thought you were asleep and started to stroke your bangs. You’d fought not to smile and tease him about it because if you did he’d probably flip his shit in humiliation and he’d never do it again. You'd actually really liked it when he did that.

You also liked whenever he got close to you, sometimes it made your heart skip beats but… You shake your head to clear your thoughts. Ok… so you may like Karkat a little. Ok… a lot? Ugh, you just don’t know. You like seeing him smile and when he laughs—a rare sight that you’ve only been graced with twice— it’s like you can’t breathe. You like it when he worries about you and when he pushes lightly on your shoulders when you refuse to lie down in bed. You like it when he touches you.

Oh fuck, now you can’t stop thinking about it and your face is as red as Dave’s clothes. Dave sees your face and eyebrows furrow and you wish you could see his eyes behind his shades. He looks away and you frown.

“D-Dave?” You ask, throat clenching from nerves. Karkat and Dave didn’t seem to get along in your thoughts very well. You reach out to him and smile when he doesn’t flinch away. He chuckles but doesn’t look up.

“Guess I’m being kinda unfair here…” He whispers and you’re confused. You say nothing and neither does he. You stand in silence for the rest of the meeting. You curse yourself for nonstop thoughts of Karkat. Fuck. Ok… so you’re pretty sure you like the troll. You come to this realization when the door swings open. Karkat is first out and striding down the hall. You nudge a goodbye to Dave and follow after him.

“John, don’t run.” He sighs and you smile.

“Then don’t leave me.” You laugh and stop immediately after, realizing how that must have sounded. You must be the only one who thinks about it because he just rolls his eyes and slows down. “W-where are we going?” You ask, blushing. He eyes you strangely but answers.

“The garden. Nepeta left one her cat toys in the rose garden but she’s busy with Equius. Like the fucking charitable guy I am I offered to get it for her.” Karkat sneers.

“Equius told you to, didn’t he?” You chuckle and he glares at you. Out in the rose garden you are surrounded by… well, roses. There is a small, tiled circle with a white gazebo in the center with vines twining their way up the wooden pillars along the edges. A wall of roses surrounds the area, making it feel private and secluded. And romantic.

Damn! You have got to stop with those thoughts. Fuck Dave for bringing this up and making you think about it. Now that you knew you liked Karkat like that you couldn’t go back to just being innocent friends! Fuck you Dave!

“There it is.” Karkat growls, snapping you from your mental accusations, the troll bounces up the steps to the gazebo. A small, orange stuffed cat sat on one of the benches, a few flowers lay forgotten beside it. Karkat scoops it up and turns around. You join him under the shade of the gazebo and rub your shoulder. Maybe Karkat was right, you shouldn’t move to quickly or the pain flares up.

“You ok?” Karkat looks at you with a worried expression, you smile and nod. “Sit down, dumbass. If you’re shoulder hurts then fucking say something or it’ll only get worse.” He snorts and plops down on a bench. You join him and sit beside your charge. A small smile plays across your face at your closeness. It’s cold out and it’s a wonder the roses are still alive in this weather but Nepeta had a way with plants.

After a moment, you gather up enough courage to lay your hand on top of his. He flinches but does not retract the appendage. A small victory. A few more minutes pass and you crave more contact. You tentatively tighten your grip around the top of Karkat’s hand and flip it over until you are properly holding hands. 

He gives you a startled look.

“What are you doing Egbert?” He asks, his voice tight and strained. You blush but don’t answer. He gently removes his hand and scoots farther away so he can face you. “John?”

“Um… my hand was getting cold.” Karkat doesn’t believe it and you don’t blame him, neither would you. 

“John, don’t. Just don’t.” He shakes his head, disgust clear on his face. Your heart breaks into so many pieces you don’t think you don’t see how you’ll ever collect all the pieces after this.

“Sorry.” You whisper after a moment of unbearable silence. Your voice is thick with sadness and you hate yourself for it. Karkat’s face softens, not that you were looking, you couldn’t bear to do that. You instead stared at your rejected hand. 

“John,” Karkat sighs. “I didn’t mean it like that… well I did but not like you think. It’s not because of you.” He struggles, searching for words and you are surprised. The eloquent troll always seemed to have a rant somewhere up his sleeve.

“T-then what is it? I mean… I really like you Karkat. Not that I wouldn’t still want to be your friend even if you don’t like me like that it’s just… Why no?” You ask, confused and fumbling. Karkat looks down and away.

“I’m a mutant. A freak. I don’t deserve a matesprit. I don’t even deserve your pathetic one-quadrented affection.” Karkat snarls, tensing.

“Karkat… is this about your blood? Because it’s not on the hemospectrum? Is that really such a huge problem? No one really seems to care.” John leaned forward but then thought better of it and returned to his original position.

“It’s complicated… here it’s not a problem. It’s just odd. But where I came from, I could have been killed for it. Every day was stressful. The only reason no one cares is because the only ones who would care don’t anymore and that seemed to cross over into the mindset of the trolls of this world.” Karkat almost whispers the last part. This world? What did he mean by that? Where did Karkat come from where he could have been killed for something so trivial? Then you take into mind how serious some trolls are about the blood-caste system here and realize it’s not so far-fetched.

“But Karkat, you said it yourself, no one here cares. So why do you still?” You ask softly.

“Habit?” He shrugs limply, still not looking. He looks miserable and you feel the same. You don’t like his self-hate just as much as you love his smile. Which was a whole fucking lot. You turn away from Karkat and scoot away to sit beside a pillar. The vine twisting around it is riddled with thorns and you prick your finger. You wince as bright red beads from the puncture. You scoot back to Karkat.

“See Karkat? Look. We have the same blood color.” You hold up the injured finger and Karkat’s head slowly rises to look. He looks horrified for a second then opens his mouth to speak but you aren’t done.

“Having this blood isn’t bad here, all humans have it. Even if trolls judge you, humans won’t. And if a troll won’t get into one of your weird quadrants because of it then maybe my ‘pathetic one-quadrented affection’ is the best option. Or maybe I could fill a quadrant.” You add after remembering Gamzee. “If you want of course.” You say just as quickly, realizing he might not even like you. He stares at you then shakes his head in amazement.

“I didn’t think you could say something so… unbelievably stupid. You’re an idiot John. The dumbest one there is. It is you.” Karkat’s looking down into his lap and his shoulders bounce and for a terrifying second you think he’s crying. Then a gruff chuckle sounds and your face brightens. You place a hand on his cheek and lift his head up to face you. 

“But I’m your idiot.” You say lovingly and his eyes widen a bit as you lean closer. You feel triumphant when he doesn’t pull away from your touch this time. You land a chaste kiss on his lips and smile into it. Your heart lights up when he returns the action.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter!

==> Be Dave Strider

The party is in full swing and the guests are crowded around either Empress Feferi or the three guests of honor, for whom this party was thrown for. Those three visiting nobles are all leaving tomorrow so Feferi, an advent lover of such festivities, decided to have a “farewell gala-thing”. 

Unfortunately, since you were Terezi’s unofficial personal body guard, you had the “privilege” to be surrounded by a bunch of asshole trolls all evening. Even worse, you thought since John was Karkat’s attendant that would mean you’d be seeing your friend here. He was currently nowhere to be found.

You huff and cross your arms across your chest. The party itself isn’t half bad, there is plenty of food and wine and that multicolored-rainbow alcohol trolls liked so much; it was mostly the attendants that made the party suck ass. Your day just gets worse when the troll you’re supposed to be protecting wonders towards you.

“What’s up cool kid?” She smirks and your straight face descends into a scowl. Her voice gets on your nerves and you really can’t help the wave of “let’s-get-the-fuck-out-of-here” that crashes over you. You really did hate her, not your fault the rough make-outs were right up your alley.

“Where is General Vantas?” You ask feigning boredom. You try to not give yourself away so easily but Terezi sees through you in an instant and laughs that dreadful cackle of hers.

“Since when did you care about Karkles Mr. Strider?” She leans closer and smirks so that her fangs are visible. “I might get a bit jealous if you keep up your little obsession.” She teases, only half joking.

“Answer the question.” You deadpan. You aren’t in the mood to deal with her whole “are-you-sure-you-don’t-hate-Karkat-that-way?” problem right now. She frowns and leans away, hands going to her hips and she shifts her weight to the right. Sassy. Ugh.

“Karkat doesn’t like these things, he’ll say goodbye to Sollux and the others tomorrow before they go. Wherever he is, John won’t be very far behind.” She says, letting only a little interest slip into her voice. You know she obsesses herself a little over her friend’s odd little relationship with your best bro. She waves for you to follow when she turns to leave and you sigh inwardly and go after her.

==> Be John Egbert

You lean over a stone railing, separating you from the balcony outside Karkat’s room and a two-story drop to the ground. One hand helps prop you up on the stone while the other holds Karkat’s hand gently. You smile at the warm touch and the equal pressure on both sides. Karkat is in a similar position next you, searching the sky for something before pointing to it.

“There.” He says, a small smile making its way onto his face. He smiled a lot more as of late. “That’s the constellation I was telling you about.” You follow his finger and stare at a small cluster of stars. All you see are a bunch of stars randomly scattered throughout an ink black sky. But Karkat sees something different. He sees pictures, some of which tell stories. You like hearing those stories when your charge tells them.

“Sorry Karkat,” you shake your head slowly, still looking at the cluster. “I really don’t see what you see. Just stars.” You smile apologetically and the troll snorts and lowers his hand.

“You ungrateful little shit. I put my heart and soul into making these things for you and you don’t even have the decency to appreciate their beauty.” He complains and you chuckle. You still find it a bit hard to believe that Karkat and the other nobles including Feferi had created your world. Your entire universe, actually. He’d decided to tell you one day when he was shaking after a particularly bad nightmare that the sopor slime couldn’t block out.

It was farfetched and hard to believe but Karkat wouldn’t lie to you. So you slowly tried to believe him. He had created the stars. They were his pride and joy and he loved them. You squeeze his hand tighter and smile brightly at him. Karkat sighs but smiles back.

“John… did you know your eyes light up when you’re really happy? Like the stars.” He’s blushing and it comes out in a whisper but you heard it just fine. And you’re glad. 

“Aw, Karkat, that’s really cute!” You lean forward and kiss him quickly on the nose and he growls in frustration.

“You’re aim sucks John.” He hisses and removes his hand from yours and uses it to grab your cheek. His other hand does the same to the opposite side of your face and he pulls you into a real kiss. Soft lips and warm breath. You pull yourself closer and wrap your arms around his waist.

You don’t know how long you stay like this but when you both pull back for air, gasping, its suddenly gotten really cold and you smile even wider than you were a second ago. Little white tufts of snow are falling around you slowly. Karkat shivers in your grasp and curses.

“Fuck this place and its cold weather.” He complains, cheeks flushed but not from the cold. You chuckle and pull him inside, peppering his face with kisses.

“I love you.” You whisper into his jaw.

“And unfortunately, I’m pretty flushed for you too dumbass.” Karkat smiles and holds you closer. The night forgotten and now all you can do is wrap yourselves in each other and share kisses. It’s warm and loving and you wake up the next morning tangled in your bed sheets. 

Happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this, it's my first fanfic so I hope by writing more I can get a lot better with my writing. I hope you liked it♥


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